Each week, The Record/Saratogian golf writer John Craig has a regular radio segment on “Big Board Radio Sports” on Fox Sports 980AM with Rodger Wyland. It airs live Thursdays just after 11:00 a.m.

THIS WEEK: We talk with Dylan Dethier, author of “18 in America,” now in paperback. He just graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, MA. He deferred his acceptance for his freshman year and traveled the country playing golf in the 48 contiguous United States and wrote a book about his experience. He tells a great story about Phil Mickelson in a pro-am.

CC of Troy: June 18: Dave Arakelian earned his seventh career hole-in-one when he jarred it on the uphill 15th hole, 141-yards with a 6-iron. Witnessed by Steve Lewis, Steve Kirchner, Jim Kelley, & Dan Ireland. Arakelian has five aces at CC of Troy now, one each at Shaker Ridge CC and Hiland Golf Club.

Mohawk Golf Club: Monday, June 23: Kris Ostrander had a hole-in-one during the annual Ellis Medicine Pro-Am on #2 to win a Honda Civic LS Sedan and a dozen golf balls.

In a U.S. Senior Open qualifier in Marblehead, MA, Colonie Golf & CC’s head pro Frank Mellet missed a playoff by one stroke. He played in the event in 2011. Also, pro Tom Falotico of Dick’s Sporting Goods in Wilton came up short at Scarsdale Golf Club in Hartsdale, NY.

June 22-25: At the 47th PGA Professional National Championship in Myrtle Beach, NC, Steve Vatter of Capital Hills at Albany shot 81-80 while Ian Breen, assistant pro at Colonie Golf & CC, shot 80-82 and both missed the cut. Also, Scotia-native Ron Philo, head pro and club manager at Stowe Mountain Golf Club, shot 73-78 and MC.

Michael Block of Aliso Viejo, CA won it on the second playoff hole when he dropped a three-foot birdie putt. He leads a group of 20 PGA Professionals to the 96th PGA Championship, Aug.7-10, at Valhalla.

Click here for a recap from the PGA of America: http://www.pga.com/nationalchampionship/

A total of 20 Hudson Valley Community College student-athletes from 11 different sports earned academic awards at the national and regional level. That includes bowlers Dean Smith (Mechanicville) for NJCAA Superior Academic Achievement and Steven DiLillo and Teagan Pollock, both from Catholic Central for NJCAA Exemplary Academic Achievement; and golfers Elizabeth Batchelder (Burnt Hills) and Nathalie McNair (Schodack) for NJCAA Exemplary Academic Achievement.

Seven local players are exempt from qualifying for the NYS Men’s Amateur. Five of those were in the top-20 last year at Schuyler Meadows Club including Victor Fox of Bethlehem, Dan Russo, David Hayes, Jim Gifford and Louis Walsh. Jim Welch won the NYS Mid-Am in 2011 and won this year’s Tri-County Match Play. Robby Bigley Jr. of Pinehaven and Gifford were also in the top-5 of last year’s NYS Mid-Am.

There are 69 players in the field for 17 spots in the NYS Men’s Amateur qualifier at Colonie Golf & CC on Monday, June 30: http://www.ghintpp.com/nysga/TPPOnlineScoring/Pairings.aspx?id=367

Qualifying:

Fri., June 27: Yahnundasis GC (Utica/Rome)

Mon., June 30: Colonie G&CC (Albany)

Tue., July 1: Wayne Hill CC (Finger Lakes)

Mon., July 7: Drumlins GC - East (Syracuse)

Sun., July 20: TBD (Sunday Qualifier)

Aug. 5-6

What: NYS Junior & Boys’ Amateur Championship

Where: Ridgemont Country Club

Local Qualifier: Tues., July 15: CC of Troy (Albany)

Entry Closed for the Junior and Boys’ Division on Tuesday, June 24

What: NYS Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship

Where: Ridgemont Country Club

Entry Deadline: No qualifying for the NYS Girls’ Amateur Championship, that entry deadline is set for Friday, July 25.

Entry fee: $50 includes a practice round and two championship rounds at Ridgemont CC, as well as the contestant dinner on Monday and tee gift. For players who need to qualify first, this fee also includes your qualifying round.

To be eligible to compete, an entrant needs to live in New York State (or belong to an NYSGA Member Club) and meet the age requirements:

Junior Division: Males between the ages of 15 and 17 as of August 6, 2014

Boys’ Division: Males 14 and younger as of August 6, 2014

Girls’ Division: Females 17 and younger as of August 6, 2014

2014 N.Y.S. Junior & Boys’ Qualifying Schedule

All participants in the Junior & Boys’ Divisions that are not exempt must first qualify at a site listed below:

Invitations are going out this week to the best golfers in the area from the Lake George Golf Association and its sponsoring partner, Got2Golf. That’s a company specializing in mobile golf apps. They are bringing back an invitational that was held for many years at McGregor Links Country Club.

The new tournament will be an individual event with qualifying on Thursday, August 14 and match play to follow on the weekend. Cost is $100.

“We plan on inviting the very best golfers from the Lake George area, Rutland, Saratoga Counties, and the Capital Region,” Tournament Director Curt Hier, a former Vermont State Mid-Amateur champion, said in a statement.

The tournament will be limited to the first 80 respondents to the invitations. Top golfers in the area should be on the look out for their invitations to arrive in the mail.

Tom Oppedisano, head golf professional at McGregor: “I’m excited to revive this tradition.”

McGregor Links, which just hosted the NYS Open qualifier on June 18, was host of the 2012 U.S. Open local qualifier. It’s a classic Devereux Emmet-designed course in Wilton, just outside of Saratoga Springs.

Other deserving golfers who do not receive invitations may visit the Lake George Golf Association website at www.lakegeorgegolf.org for details about how to request an invitation.

Rickie Fowler is featured in a new PSA for National “Play 9 Day” planned for Wednesday, July 23.

RELEASE FROM USGA

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (June 11, 2014) – The United States Golf Association (USGA), together with American Express, officially launched the “Play 9” program today to demonstrate how nine-hole rounds can help more golfers enjoy the game in less time.

A creative USGA public service announcement (PSA) starring Rickie Fowler will debut during 2014 U.S. Open Championship television coverage, showing the 25-year-old PGA Tour pro finding time to play the game with family and friends while still fulfilling other daily commitments and interests.

“I don’t always have enough time to play a full round between practice and spending time with friends and family,” said Fowler. “I’m happy to join the USGA and American Express on ‘Play 9’ to encourage golfers to play a nine-hole round, especially if that’s what’s going to get them out onto the golf course to play more often.”

At the forefront of the USGA’s multi-year commitment to promote “Play 9” is the first annual “Play 9 Day” on Wednesday, July 23, when all golfers will be encouraged to play a nine-hole round. The program builds on the organization’s ongoing efforts to make the game more accessible, sensitive to time considerations and sustainable.

“During our extensive conversations with golfers, we’ve learned that they feel challenged by the time it takes to play,” said Mike Davis, executive director of the USGA. “By creating awareness of the nine-hole round, and the many ways that one can enjoy the game in less time, we hope this creative program featuring one of the game’s more dynamic and progressive players will energize and remind golfers how they can fit the game into their days.”

“American Express is excited to partner with the USGA and Rickie Fowler to support the game by encouraging more people to play nine-hole rounds,” said Deborah Curtis, vice president of sports and entertainment marketing at American Express. “With their support, we want ‘Play 9’ to demonstrate how golf can fit into the everyday lives of players – giving golfers everywhere a chance to play more often.”

Industry research indicates there is growing interest in this format of play. According to the National Golf Foundation, 27 percent – more than 4,000 – of America’s courses are nine-hole facilities. In addition, nine-hole rounds can be played at most 18-hole public facilities. However, just 24 percent of total rounds played last year, among those surveyed, were nine-hole rounds.

A separate study conducted in 2013 by Sports & Leisure Research Group for the USGA found that 33 percent of core golfers (those who play eight to 24 rounds annually) and 38 percent of casual golfers (those who play seven rounds or fewer) would play more nine-hole rounds if the format were “more strongly encouraged.”

The “Play 9” program will provide golfers and golf courses with resources that will allow them to celebrate the nine-hole round and the game in a variety of ways, including finding time to enjoy a nine-hole match with friends and post an official score, or even take a lesson.

To view the PSA and to learn more, visit www.usga.org/play9. All golfers are encouraged to share their photos and experiences via social media using #play9golf.

A downloadable version of the PSA is available at vimeo.com; password: play9

Please click here to access images of the PSA shoot with Rickie Fowler.

EXPANSION OF DRIVE CHIP & PUTT INTO ALL 50 STATES

After an incredibly successful inaugural year of the “Drive, Chip and Putt Championship,” the Masters Tournament Foundation, United States Golf Association (USGA) and the PGA of America have announced its expansion to all 50 states.

So far, locally, 47 kids are signed up for the first qualifier (July 12) and 77 are signed up for the second qualifier (July 19). There are still 153 left for July 12 and 123 left for July 19.

Approximately 17,000 youngsters had opportunities to qualify in the first year, which began with local qualifying at courses throughout the country. From there, the top finishers advanced to one of 11 regional qualifiers, with the winners in each of the four age divisions earning a trip to Augusta National, site of the annual Masters Tournament.

Participants in the 2014 Drive, Chip and Putt Championship will again advance through local and regional qualifiers conducted throughout the United States. Competitors will be comprised of boys and girls ages 7-15, and they will compete in separate divisions in four age categories. The regional champions in each of the boys and girls divisions from the four age categories will advance to the finals to be held at Augusta National the Sunday before the Masters Tournament, April 4, 2015.

Two local qualifying events will take place at courses throughout the Northeastern New York PGA Section, on Saturday, July 12th and Saturday, July 19th. The sub-regional qualifying event will be held at Town of Colonie Golf Course on Saturday, August 16th. Local Qualifying registration is open and thousands of participants have already signed up at DriveChipPutt.com for the second year of the event. There are four age groups for both boys and girls – 7-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14-15 – and registration is first come, first served. If an age/gender division is full at one Local Qualifying site, the registrant can check the next closest site for availability. Registration closes 5 days prior to qualifier date or when field is filled.

“It was amazing to be on site at Augusta National and see the faces of the 88 participants and really everyone involved in coordinating the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship,” said Ted Bishop, President of The PGA of America. “Our PGA Professionals will continue to play a vital role in administering the local and regional events and we are looking forward to again working alongside the Masters Tournament Foundation and the USGA.”

For more information about the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, including official rules, qualifying sites or to register, please visit http://neny.pga.com/drivechipputtchamp/ or http://www.drivechipandputt.com/.

The NENY PGA will be administering the event by age division/tee times for all pairings. And they are ABSOLUTELY seeking volunteers interested in assisting for each day.